The Congress of the People (COP), the second biggest partner in the coalition government here, insists that the fiasco caused by the decision of the incumbent May of San Fernando, Marlene Coudray to switch allegiance remains alive despite public statements by Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar that the matter is over.

COP leader Prakash Ramadhar, who is also Legal Affairs Minister in the Persad Bissessar Cabinet, told reporters at the end to the party's general council meeting on Sunday that while many regard the Coudray issue as a "distraction", it remains in principle a serious matter of a breach of trust by the United National Congress, (UNC), the majority partner in the five-party coalition.

COP chairman Joseph Toney said "until this matter is resolved, that is the matter of the mayorship of San Fernando, the national council instructed the national executive and the political leader that they wanted to go on record that the COP reserves the right to revisit our relationship with all the units that form the People’s Partnership (PP).